


A Little Respite

by Verdant_Mercury



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Comfort, DE ArtFest, DEArtfest, F/F, Fluff, Overthinking, Post-Octopunk Media's Detroit: Evolution Fan Film, Sharing a Bed, Spoilers for Octopunk Media's Detroit: Evolution Fan Film
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:00:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25028911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Verdant_Mercury/pseuds/Verdant_Mercury
Summary: After the raid on Ada and the warehouse, Tina's able to go home to her wife.DEArtfest Day Two: Sharing A Bed
Relationships: Tina Chen (Detroit: Become Human)/Valerie Morales-Chen
Comments: 1
Kudos: 10





	A Little Respite

It’s done. It’s done and everyone, _most_ everyone can go home. Dangerous android stopped, Nines was okay, the warehouse secured, reports filed, and Fowler faced for the time being. Though, Tina was under no illusion that she’d evade that last one forever. Damn, she was friends with Gavin, there was no way.

Bright side whatever weird tension she had to put up with Nines and Gavin was finally, _finally_ over and done with. Tina was half ready to just lock them into one of the station’s rooms before Chris' promotion. Small mercies that they worked it out. Although maybe she’d be able to do it just for the hell of it later on, when things settled down.

But, for now, all she had was one last stop to make. Get Chris home to his family. Chris, who sat in the passenger seat and had said only a handful of words since he got in. Tina couldn’t exactly blame him. Her eyeballs felt like they would roll out of her head if she stayed awake any longer, but something told her it was more than that.

Tina had heard the shot, seen Ada’s shoulder. A fancy detective title wasn’t worth shit next to her eyes. Tina knew to know her friend was, as Gavin put it, a bit fucked up. Shaken up. Wasn’t the wisest thing; to steal glances at Chris as morning traffic picked up. Didn’t stop her, though.

“I see you looking at me. I’m fine, Tina. Just make sure you don’t rear-end someone.” Oop. Busted.

“You saying you don’t trust my observational skills, Detective?” Tina tried for a smile.

“After the day we had?” Fatigue crept into his voice. A quick glance over. Chris' neck looked like it was just for show when Tina saw how it swayed when she turned. "Keep your eyes on the road, Tina."

“Okay, fine, _mom_ ,” Chris laughed, and she took it as a win. A red light ahead and some jack-ass who still couldn’t figure out how a turn signal worked. Great. “Just wanted to make sure you’re good.”

“Yeah, I’m just-” Chris took a deep sigh. “-I just want to be home. Not that I don’t like you, Chen. It’s just-” A pause, a silence that dragged on from more than just weariness. Tina waited. It wasn’t like Chris could just tuck and roll out of the conversation. He could with the car but something told her that he wasn't quite to that point yet. “We went out to have a night off. To celebrate and I invited-” Chris sucked in a sharp breath. After a few seconds, he exhaled shakily. “-then all that stuff happened with Nines and Gavin. You saw him. He looked bad, worse than even after Conner laid him out.”

Tina huffed. Yeah, that had been a face.

“With a look like that, I thought Nines wasn’t going to come back this time.” Chris had said it softly, subdued in a way Tina had rarely, if ever, seen. Not since she and Lewis found him in Capitol Park.

Tina's fingers tapped against the steering wheel.

“Is this a _I want to complain in peace_ or a _please, Tina, grant me your wisdom?_ ” Another laugh. She was on a roll. Maybe if the police thing ended up not working out, she could just go do stand-up. Maybe then Tina wouldn’t have to deal with watching the world’s most intense staring contests at work.

“I don’t know. I just want to be able to put it all down when I get home,”

Tina pulled into the driveway of Chris’ home, barely put it in park before she turned to face Chris head on. “Hey, you know what I say? Hold your wife. Works for me.”

“Tina, that’s one of the sappiest things you’ve ever said.”

“Oh, shut up, and get out of my car.” Tina reached for the radio, intent on listening to music for the rest of the ride home. No news, no more work. Chris’ fingers brushed hers, stilled her hand against the screen.

“Thanks,” He gave her a lukewarm smile, stepped out of the vehicle, and trudged towards the door. Chris gave her one final, slight wave before he entered the front door.

The drive home was blessedly uneventful.

* * *

Tina squinted against the sun that had reached peak ‘ _you can’t see shit_ ’ time of morning. Finally, home. No last-minute calls, or extra details, or even a message from Gavin aside from one that told her _ever_ so politely to get some sleep around when she dropped off Chris. Shit head. That and to say hi to Val for him. Nines had him. Wasn't needed to worry this go around.

She jammed in the door code, then trudged up the stairs on increasingly unsteady feet. Just a flight, another door to her apartment. Shit, why did bodies get so heavy when the finish line was in sight?

Tina rummaged through her pockets, then through her bag for the keys. She leaned heavily against the door’s frame as she searched. Fingers brushed against cold metal, and yep. There was the culprit; a lanyard all tangled up and brought about half of the things in her bag with it. How did that even get in there?

“Urgh-” Tina barely managed to save it, and lost her keys in the bag in the process.

The door opened and there stood Valerie, hair wonderfully mussed up and in pj's. Tina wasn't jealous. Nope.

Tina moved on instinct. Tipping forward, she more or less slumped against her wife. The bag slid from her fingers and plopped onto the floor. Okay, it wasn’t embrace by any means, but Valerie kind of had no choice unless she wanted a Tina pancake. Once she was down, Tina would not move for anyone. Especially after a shift, and a time like the one she had.

Tina basked in the touch. Then Valerie opened her mouth.

“I’m sorry, officer. My wife’ll be home any minute you need to go.” Valerie’s arms wrapped around Tina and gently tugged her into a hug proper. Tina grumbled into her soft shirt.

“You waited up for me?”

“Yeah, just staring out the window pining all night. I even lit some candles it was very dramatic.”

“Lucky wife,” Tina’s eyes slid shut. Warm arms, cozy body, nice smell. A wife’s hug. Just what the doctor ordered.

“Yes, yes, she is. Now, get in here.” Valerie pulled back, but kept a hand still on Tina’s arms. An anchor. “Last thing I need is you dozing on me and getting drool all over the place."

“It was _one_ time, babe,” And if Valerie’s answering smile was anything to go by, that one time was never going to be forgotten. She was so in love.

Tina crossed the threshold into the apartment, the bag a half-remembered thing. Just enough to drop it by the door. She’d clean it up later. Eventually. Certainly, after a lengthy appointment with a bed, and preferably with her face pillowed into Valerie’s side. After the dishes. Tina peeled off her jacket, her shoes.

Valerie disappeared further into their apartment. “That bad, huh?” She called back, heedless to whatever time of morning it actually was. Eh, the neighbors would get over it.

“Worked out in the end.” Tina winced at the weariness that laced her voice and followed Valerie. “Have you watered our babies?” The living room blinds were open, their plants already getting enough sun to hopefully keep them alive this time. She hadn’t the slightest clue on how Gavin took care of Asshole so well with their schedules when she and Valerie were the unfortunate cause of many plant related demises.

“No, thought I’d leave them alone to see which one would last the longest. Survival of the fittest, and all that. My bets on the Marigold.” Valerie’s voice came from the bedroom.

Tina snorted quietly, bare feet padding against the floors. Their water jar looked a bit emptier than the last time she saw it but...Tina sighed and just poked at the soil. Damp, okay that was fine. Probably. If not, then at least it was Valerie’s turn to pick up something new.

“Unless you want me to try and carry you-” _Again_. “-there’s a wife in here with your name on it.” There was a 50/50 chance that Valerie meant it. She had the work voice on.

“You mean drop me again?” Tina stepped back from their latest and hopefully last for a while babies and followed her wife to the bedroom.

Valerie was back in bed, legs tucked under the covers, and waiting. Not exactly the picture she had been expecting or rather it was downright the opposite. A glance at the bedside table, and yep. 7am and her wife looked nothing like how she’d normally be. No work clothes. Clothing, maybe it was Tina’s were laid out the rumpled bed sheets. A perfectly old t-shirt and shorts. She really, _really_ loved her wife.

“Thought you had a meeting this morning?” Tina asked around a yawn as she peeled off her uniform.

“I talked it out with the boss. She’s got it handled today.”

“When did that happen?”

“Yesterday, when I came back and saw the bags under your eyes.”

Tina’s hands stilled. She felt Valerie’s eyes and forced herself to finish changing. What could she even say that? _No need, babe?_ All either of them had to do was remember Gavin barely a day ago. Big need right there. Did they even talk yesterday? A few words, texts, and a call maybe. A knot in Tina’s chest ached. Damn, the last few days had been rough.

"You were watching me sleep?" Both her tone and the joke fell flat from her mouth. Tina bit back a sigh. “Thanks, Val.” Tina kicked the wrinkled uniform in the direction of the hamper, went to her side of the bed, and flopped face down with a small oof. Her eyes slid closed as she felt Valerie shift next to her.

The blanket was pulled up over the both of them. Valerie threw a leg over Tina’s, plastered herself against Tina’s back. A warm solid weight. Tension bled out slowly, that part of Tina that just tried to keep it together until everything was said done. A small voice in her mind that could finally shut up about having work to do.

Everyone was home and accounted for. Tina exhaled a long, trembling breath against the pillow.

“My Tina,” A kiss pressed against her shoulder.

Tina buried her face into the pillow.

“My _boo_ ,”

Tina grumbled.

“Cupcake. My main _squeeze_ ,” Valerie’s arms tugged Tina back.

“Stop,” Tina’s shoulders shook with restrained laughter. She pressed her face more firmly against the pillow. She won’t break. Let her brood in her wife’s arms for a bit.

Valerie moved in close and whispered, “ _Babylicious_.”

Tina lost, and then lost it. She snorted loudly into the pillowcase.

**Author's Note:**

> Did I start this like two hours before the 2nd? Yes, yes I did.


End file.
